Posts are utilized for a variety of structures including fences, gates, mailbox posts, signposts, and tree and vine stakes. Because wooden posts are subject to seasonal wet and dry cycles, the wooden posts eventually rot. Rot is a result of microbial and insect activity, and is hastened by moisture. There are various known methods to secure wooden posts within the ground, including concrete and ground spikes, however, none of the methods or apparatus sufficiently address the problem of wood rot, easy replacement of damaged posts or the inherent irregularity in the shape of wooden posts. Each of these problems is described in more detail below.
Delaying Rot
One method to delay rot is to utilize more rot-resistant wood, such as cedar (which has a longer lifespan). Other types of wood require chemical treatment to preserve the wood. Chemical preservatives can be applied to wood by brushing, spraying or dipping. Pressure-treated wood, wherein the wood is impregnated with chemical preservatives, offers improved resistance to damage from microbes and insects. Even pressure-treated woods eventually rot as the chemical preservative leaches out into the surrounding earth. In addition, due to environmental concerns, some highly effective chemical preservatives have been banned and are no longer in use.
It is also known to prevent rot by preventing contact between earth and the wooden post. For example, various post collars made of plastic or metal are available. These post collars are designed to wrap around a wood post at or around ground level, however, known post collars do not always provide a good fit between the collar and the wooden post such that moisture, microbes and insects are kept away.
Irregularity of Wooden Posts
To illustrate the point above, consider that for any particular preservative, whether applied with pressure or not, different types of wood react differently. For example, some wood absorbs more preservative than other wood, thereby causing greater expansion of the wood upon treatment. In addition, wooden posts are often stacked in bundles for the purposes of easy transportation. The wooden posts within the bundles dry out unevenly and can warp if not stacked and handled carefully.
In addition, the milling process to create the wooden posts is not perfect, nor is the wood making up the post, and there is a regulated tolerance of ⅛″. Combining this imperfect milling process with the different reactions of various woods to preservative treatment and the possible warping of posts during any of transport, storage, and display, means that wooden posts vary in dimension along their length. Thus it may be difficult to get a good fit between the wooden post and a post collar such that moisture, microbes and insects are kept away.
Installation and Replacement
There are various known ways to secure fence posts within the ground. One example is concrete. Use of concrete requires use of an auger to drill a relatively large hole to accommodate the post as well as the concrete. Once the concrete is added, the post must be stabilized until the concrete has set. Replacing a damaged post requires removing all of the concrete as well as the post. In addition, concrete is porous and does not prevent the wood from rotting. If and when a damaged wooden post requires replacement, the concrete and damaged post must be removed and replaced.
Another common way to set up wooden posts is within structures such as ground spikes. An advantage of ground spikes is that there is no need to prepare a post hole since the ground spikes can be hammered directly into the ground. There is also no need to secure the ground spike with concrete. Ground spikes often include a cuff for affixing to the lower end of a wooden post, which can make it easy to replace a damaged post, however, posts attached to ground spikes lack stability when compared to posts that have been inserted into ground and secured by concrete. Another disadvantage of ground spikes is it can be difficult to get the spikes level. If the spike is not level, it necessitates removing and hammering the spike in again or planing the bottom of a post.
Another factor to consider is the climate in which the posts will be utilized. As discussed above, moisture is an important issue, however, so is temperature. For example, in colder climates, if a wooden post is inserted into the ground above the frost line, the ground will heave and posts can be dislodged from their original position within the ground.
In cases where the wooden post is affixed or inserted into a structure such as a ground spike, then the ground spike must be inserted to a sufficient depth so that the wooden post can be removed from the structure without dislodging the structure from its position within the ground.
The relevant prior art lacks systems, methods and apparatuses that secure wooden posts in the ground while also deterring wood rot, and which permit easy installation and easy replaceability of posts while simultaneously aiding access to the fenced area.